


It Continued Bigger

by Fangirl_Deluxe14



Series: Secrets and Fallouts [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Anti-Abby, Anti-McGee, Anti-Ziva, Competent Tony DiNozzo, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-18 00:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13670103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Deluxe14/pseuds/Fangirl_Deluxe14
Summary: After It Started Small, Tony, Gibbs and the rest of the team are supposed to get settled in their new roles.  But will it actually happen, or will certain people's blindness tear apart their team for good?





	It Continued Bigger

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is part two of the It Started Small universe, Tony has been promoted to team lead next to Gibbs and some of the team have a hard time coping.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

 

Tony and Gibbs go up to Vance together with the files for the two Senior Field Agents, as well as two junior agents (chosen by Tony exclusively) they would also take on, leaving each lead with three agents at their disposal.  When they come back down, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, McGee and Ziva are all standing in the middle of the bullpen, watching them as the two agents walk down the stairs.  Tony and Gibbs share a look when they notice their extended team all standing there and looking pissed off to some degree.

 

 They stop in front of the crowd and just watch them, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

 “Why didn't you tell us?” Abby said.  “Why weren't we told and most of all, why weren't we invited to the wedding?”  What she doesn't ask is _why am I not your favorite anymore, Gibbs?_

 

 “We didn't tell you because I wasn't ready”, Tony says, stepping forward.  “You all have your set view of me, of this, I don't know, playboy, this dumb jock.  Someone not worthy of a committed relationship.  So we kept it secret because you wouldn't believe it.  You still don't.  I'm not blind, even though enough of you seem to think so.  Ziva, thinking I could love you like you love me and undermining my authority every chance you get.  McGee, thinking I'm incompetent and incapable of doing actual work, that you're better than me for going to MIT.  Abby, thinking I'm incapable of being a leader, telling me I'm not Gibbs and showing everyone that you think I'm just a trainee.  Ducky, I’ve seen the way you look at me.  Like I’m not good enough to be on Gibbs’ team.  The only people here who's ever had any faith in me, as a person and an agent, is Gibbs, Tom Morrow, and Palmer.  Shepard thought I was an idiot and would get killed on the undercover mission with Jeanne.  She said she thought I should have been.  And until just a few months ago, Vance didn't believe in me either.  Only reason I stayed here at NCIS is because of Gibbs.  Without him, I would have been gone after Kate.  Or after Mexico.  Hadn’t it been for Jimmy's support, I would have followed Gibbs to Mexico.  I'm going down to HR, I need to make sure the filings were made correctly.  You all head back to work, miss Sciuto, Dr Mallard, Jimmy, you've all got other cases to work.”

 

 Tony pushes his way through the crowd and takes the stairs down to HR, leaving the group in shock, staring after him before they all turn in unison to look at Gibbs.  The man's eyes are cold and hard.

 

 “DiNozzo’s right.  About all of you.  Now get your asses back to work before I write you up for disobeying chain of command.  GO!” He snaps, going to his desk.  “Agents Burley and Quinn will be joining us tomorrow.  They'll be the new Senior Field Agents, and I expect you to treat them with respect.  Unlike how you've treated DiNozzo all these years.” He looks at them all pointedly before he begins organizing his paperwork.

 

 The others look at each other before Abby, Ducky and Jimmy go to the back elevator while Ziva and McGee head for their desks, sitting down quietly.  The three in the elevator look at each other, Abby's eyes with hurt shining in them.  “What just happened?” She whispers, looking at the other two.

 

 “I believe, Abigail, that Anthony finally put us in our places.  I believe he's tired of us treating him like we have been.  He's not wrong, you know.” Ducky supplies, watching her.  He sighs.  “We have been cruel to the boy.”

 

 Jimmy nods at Ducky's words.  “I tried to help him when Gibbs had left to Mexico.  Everyone else were just angry that Gibbs was gone and telling Tony he wasn’t Gibbs and that he didn’t do a good enough job.  He told me he was in love with Gibbs then, but didn’t tell me they were actually together.” He looks down at his feet.  “What should we do?”

 

 “Why should we change?” Abby argues.  “They kept their relationship hidden from us for years.  Why is it us that has to change and not them?”  She wants to be Gibbs’ favorite, like she always has been.  She doesn’t like that Tony has taken her place.

 

 “They already have changed, Abigail”, Ducky tells her.  “They changed the moment Anthony and Jethro decided to come out to us and be honest about their relationship.”  He has sensed a change in his old friend after Tony had first started working at NCIS, but he simply thought it was because Gibbs now had another person to train, and not because the two were in a relationship.

 

 The elevator door opens, Abby stomps out and into her lab, shutting and locking the door after her.  “I don’t like this, Major Mass Spec.  I just want things to go back to normal and not be this weird alternative universe.”

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

 Tony arrives back in the bullpen fifteen minutes after the others had gone back to work and stops by Gibbs' desk.  “Everything's in order with HR.” He says before going back to his desk, sitting down.  “We got a time on Burley and Quinn?” He asks Gibbs as he readies his work.

 

 “Burley will be in first thing tomorrow morning.  Quinn won't be far behind”, Gibbs answers.  “McGee, move your things to the desk behind the wall, that desk will be Burley's from now on.”

 

 McGee looks at Gibbs in shock.  “But- but boss?” He sputters.

 

 “You heard the man, McGee.  Move.  Don't worry, we'll have the wall taken down soon enough.  We'll also expand the number of desks here for the two junior agents as well as Quinn”, Tony says curtly.  McGee shifts his attention towards Tony, his face still showing shock.  Now Ziva is also paying attention.

 

 “Tony, you cannot order McGee around like that”, Ziva looks at Tony, who met her gaze.  She's still hoping this is all just a massive prank and that Tony actually does love her.

 

“Maybe you too would like to be repositioned, David?  Because if you do, I'm sure Quinn wouldn't mind taking your desk”, Tony tells her instead.  “And as I am now team lead, call me DiNozzo or boss.  I expect the same respect as you give Gibbs. You two lost the privilege to call me Tony when you turned off the radio on me.  I didn't say anything then because I hoped we could still be friends, but this experience shows me you cannot be my friends, either of you.”

 

 “Tony, the radio thing was just a prank”, McGee argues.  He hasn't begun packing down his things yet, still believing it was all just a big prank.

 

 “What did I just say, McGee? Don't call me Tony anymore. You don't have the right.  As for the radio, the two of you left me without backup while I was looking for a terrorist cell.  What would have happened if I needed help and you weren't listening to hear that I was in trouble? I could have been dead.”

 

 “But you're not.  You're fine, nothing happened”, McGee argues again.  “You're overreacting.”

 

 “Am I, McGee? Am I overreacting to the fact that my two team members left me alone without backup without my knowledge?  You left me alone out there.” Tony's eyes are cold and glaring as they fixated on McGee's face.  “The two of you knowingly broke protocol because my voice _annoyed_ you.  You’re both extremely lucky I don’t get you fired for it.”

 

 “You wouldn’t get us fired, Tony.  You do not have the authority”, Ziva says to him.  

 

 “Oh, he does, David, and if you both do not get to work, I will fire you myself”, Gibbs interrupts.  “Get used to the thought of DiNozzo being your team lead again.  Even though you might be working more desk time from now on.  Because neither of us trusts you on our sixes anymore.”

 

 “The other new agents will be your superiors as well.  They have more years on their backs than the two of you combined”, Tony adds.  “Agents Hannah Turner and Charles ‘Chuck’ Foster.  By the end of the week, they’ll be here.”

 

 McGee meets Ziva’s eyes and they share a disbelieving look before McGee reluctantly moves his things to the extra desk.  When he has gotten himself situated, he opens his laptop to find a message in a new group chat with him, Ziva and Abby.

 

_A-sci:  Meet up at my place tonight? We need to talk about this._

 

_Z-dav:  Of course.  Something is not right and we need to figure out what that is._

 

_T-mcg:  I’m in._

 

_A-sci:  7PM my place.  I’ll order pizza._

 

*~*~*~*~*

Monday, October 24, 2011

 

McGee is unpacking the next morning when there is movement in the bullpen.  He looks over and sees Tony stand up to greet the newcomer.  Stan Burley, one of the new Senior Field Agents.  McGee just watches as Tony greets the man with a handshake turned into a hug.  And there he sees traces of the old Tony, the Tony they had seen before things had gone to hell.

 

 “Burley, it’s good to see you”, Tony smiles at him.  “Thanks for being able to come on such short notice.”

 

 “No problem, DiNozzo.  Congrats on your promotion, it’s all over NCIS.  I’m honoured you wanted me on your team as SFA.” Stan smiles as he looks around.  “Tim, what’re you doing back there?” He asks, noticing McGee watching from behind the wall.

 

 “His desk is now yours, and that is his”, Tony explains, walking Stan to his desk.  “Go ahead, make yourself at home while we wait for Quinn. After that, we’ll head to the conference room and brief you on the situation.”  Stan nods as he sits down, getting a feel for his new desk.  He looks over at Gibbs and smiles.  “It’ll be a pleasure working with you again, Gibbs”, he says.

 

 Gibbs gvies Stan a small smile.  “Welcome back, Burley.”  Stan shoots him a smile before his eyes found Ziva.  “Ah, Ziva, how lovely to see you.” He smiles warmly at her, being a little shocked at how distant she is being towards him.  All he gets is a small nod before the Israeli turns her attention back to her computer, typing furiously.  Stan looks at Tony for an explanation.

 

 “She's pissed we didn't tell them about me and Gibbs being married”, Tony tells him, showing him the wedding ring resting on his finger.  Stan's eyes widens a bit when he sees the ring, but he catches himself quickly and smiles at him.  “You two are married? Awesome, guys. I knew Gibbs needed someone on the job he could rely on.  I'm glad you got through to him and accepted his bastard ways.”

 

 Tony's smile is almost blinding as he heard Stan.  “Thanks a lot, Burley, it means a lot that you support us.”

 

 “The two of you are feared across NCIS, you know?  And you being co-team leads and together is just going to make them all explode.  Or implode with fear.” Stan lets out a chuckle before they all hear the elevator ‘ding’ and heels click against the floor as a brown-haired, curly-haired woman, tall and beautiful, in her early forties, walks towards them.

 

 “Ah, Agent Quinn.  Hi, I'm Tony DiNozzo, this is Jethro Gibbs, we're your new team leads.” Tony smiles at her and shakes her hand.

 

 “Your reputation precedes you two.  I imagined the two of you being, I don't know… Scarier.  Nice to meet you.  And please, call me Alex”, Alex smiles at them, before looking around at the team.  “So this is the team I'll be working with?” She asks.

 

 “Well, yes, this is Stan Burley, the other SFA, and this is Timothy McGee and Ziva David.  Hannah Turner and Charles Foster will be joining us in a few days.”

 

 Stan stands and goes to shake her hand.  “Alex, nice to meet you.” He smiles charmingly.  Beside them, Gibbs stands.  “Conference room, we'll brief you on your new positions.”

 

Tony follows Gibbs and turns his head towards the new SFAs.  “You guys coming?” He asks with a soft grin on his face.  The two scurry to catch up with them and follow the two leads into the conference room, closing the door behind them.  Tony and Gibbs sit down and gesture for the others to do the same.

 

 “So, apart from my promotion, I’m sure you’re both curious as to why this happened now of all times.  Long story short, I was tired of hiding behind masks.  So Gibbs and I finally came out as a married couple.  Over a long period of time, so McGee, David and Abby Sciuto has had plenty of time to get used to this me, this more mature, less goofy me.  Abby had the nerve to ask me if I was dying when she noticed how I’d changed.  And two days ago, Gibbs and I wore our wedding rings to work, which McGee noticed and asked about.  I kissed Gibbs in the middle of the bullpen, Vance called us up to his office and gave me a promotion, because I said I’d resign if I wasn’t kept on Gibbs’ team”, Tony explains calmly, his right hand clasping Gibbs’ left as he speaks to their new team members.  He feels worried when the agents just sit there in silence for a few minutes, their faces expressionless.

 

 “And how is everyone taking this change?” Stan asks after the information had processed.  “I could tell Ziva and Tim weren’t taking it all that well.”

 

 Tony’s expression sours at the mention of the two agents.  “They, along with Abby, seem to think this is all some elaborate prank.  You’ve both had experience putting agents in their places before, we expect no different from you now.”

 

 Both Stan and Alex nod.  “We will put them in their places, don’t worry.  They should know not to act like that in front of their senior agents”, Alex says.  “I thought I trained Tim better than that.”

 

 “Well, now you have the chance to make sure you do it right, Alex”, Tony tells her with a slight smile.

 

 “We’ll give you the personnel files on Turner and Foster so you can read up on them before they arrive.”  Gibbs stands as he speaks, pulling Tony up with him.  “We’re heading out for coffee”, he adds as he and Tony walk past Stan and Alex.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
